Lightweights
Guram Kutateladze (12-4, 1-2 UFC) vs. Jordan Vucenic (13-2, 0-0 UFC)Kutateladze is in an odd spot at the moment. Obviously a top talent to watch, the “Georgian Viking” has struggled to build much momentum in the four years since his extremely impressive debut. Kutateladze stepped in on late notice as the B-side against fellow newcomer Mateusz Gamrot for what wound up as a nip-tuck fight. Kutateladze kept pace with Gamrot’s wrestling-heavy attack every step of the way and got the narrow decision, upsetting the apple cart for one of the UFC’s most-hyped signings of 2020. While Gamrot has rebounded and charged up the ranks as a lightweight contender, Kutateladze has struggled with injuries, only making it to the cage twice since and losing both times out. A narrow decision loss to Damir Ismagulov in 2022 was fine enough given Ismagulov’s status as one of the division’s most underrated technicians at the time, but a defeat to Elves Brener a year ago was much more of a surprise, as the Brazilian’s pairing of offense with his aggression eventually wore Kutateladze out and resulted in a finish. Kutateladze finally makes his return here to try and find a much-needed win against a UFC newcomer in Vucenic, a man the promotion did well to sign as a late-notice replacement. Vucenic has been a standout on the European scene for a few years now, with “The Epidemic” making his hay through pressure and aggression, developing from decision machine to submission threat over the last few years. There’s a decent shot that Vucenic can replicate Brener’s success given his own dogged aggression and historical durability, but the UFC newcomer’s pace reads as closer to Gamrot’s. Add in that Vucenic is fighting on a three-week turnaround and getting a big step up from his last handful of opponents, and the call is that the Georgian can stay ahead in a tough fight. The pick is Kutateladze via decision.
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